Part-time work of an employee in the private sector

Verified 21 June 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

How long is part-time work? A part-time employee is employed for a shorter period than a full-time employee. The minimum duration of working time shall be specified in the employment contract. Part-time employees may be required to work additional hours, within certain limits. Overtime is subject to a pay increase.

Part-time work is work of which the duration is less the duration of the work scheduled for the full-time employee.

It must therefore be less than one of the following limits:

  • Or the legal weekly period: 35 hours
  • Or at the monthly legal duration: 151,67 hours
  • Or at the annual legal duration: 1 607 hours

Warning  

of treaty provisions may provide for a shorter working time.

Any employee may work part-time, irrespective of the duration of his contract (DTA: titleContent or CSD: titleContent).

Part-time work may be requested by the employer or the salaried worker.

General case

A part-time employee must sign a written employment contract.

The contract shall include all of the following:

  • Employee qualification
  • Remuneration
  • Expected weekly or monthly working time
  • Allocation of working time between the days of the week or the weeks of the month (unless the allocation of working hours is provided for, by agreement or agreement, on a period of more than one week)
  • Limits within which additional hours may be completed
  • Method of communicating in writing to the employee working hours for each working day
  • Cases in which the allocation of working time may be changed and nature of such change

All agreeable the contract must also be in writing.

In the absence of a written contract, the employment contract is a full-time contract.

In an association

A part-time employee must sign a written employment contract.

The contract shall include all of the following:

  • Employee qualification
  • Remuneration
  • Expected weekly or monthly working time
  • Allocation of working time between the days of the week or the weeks of the month (unless the allocation of working hours is provided for, by agreement or agreement, on a period of more than one week)
  • Limits within which additional hours may be completed
  • Cases in which the allocation of working time may be changed and nature of such change

Working hours are communicated to the employee each month in writing.

All agreeable the contract must also be in writing.

In the absence of a written contract, the employment contract is a full-time contract.

In a home help company

A part-time employee must sign a written employment contract.

The contract shall include all of the following:

  • Employee qualification
  • Remuneration
  • Expected weekly or monthly working time
  • Allocation of working time between the days of the week or the weeks of the month (unless the allocation of working hours is provided for, by agreement or agreement, on a period of more than one week)
  • Limits within which additional hours may be completed
  • Cases in which the allocation of working time may be changed and nature of such change

Working hours are communicated to the employee each month in writing.

All agreeable the contract must also be in writing.

In the absence of a written contract, the employment contract is a full-time contract.

A part-time employee must respect a minimum working time.

This period shall be fixed by treaty provisions.

In the absence of treaty provisions, the minimum working time shall be:

  • Either 24 hours per week (or equivalent monthly duration, 104 hours)
  • Or, in the case of a division of working time over a period exceeding one week, 104 hours per month

However, provisions of the Convention may provide for a minimum duration of less than 24 hours per week:

  • Depending on the implementation of regular schedules in the company
  • Depending on the employee's ability to combine several activities
  • Depending on the employee's working hours on regular or full days or half-days

Derogations from this minimum period are also provided for in the following cases:

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General case

Your part-time work contract must respect a minimum weekly working time.

That's the collective agreement (or the extended branch agreement) which lays down provisions on minimum working hours. 

If there is no specification in the agreement or agreement, you must work for a minimum ofat least 24 hours per week as a part-time employee (in DTA: titleContent or CSD: titleContent).

CDD of up to 7 days

You can work less than 24 hours per week (minimum weekly legal duration) if your CSD: titleContent not more than 7 days.

Replacement of absent employee

You can work less than 24 hours per week (minimum weekly legal duration) if you are replacing an absent employee (regardless of the reason for the suspension the contract of the employee being replaced).

Derogation requested by the employee

Personal Constraints

A minimum period of time less than the applicable period in the company may be set at your request.

Your request must be written and substantiated, i.e. it must contain your personal constraints (health or family reasons, in particular).

A sample letter is available:

Request for derogation from the minimum working time for part-time work

Please note

Your employer is not obliged to accept your request.

Cumulation of activities

At your request, a minimum period of time less than the applicable period in the company may be set to allow you to combine several activities.

This allows you to achieve an overall length of service equal to full time or at least equal to the minimum working time.

Your request to your employer must be in writing and substantiated.

A sample letter is available:

Request for derogation from the minimum working time for part-time work

Please note

Your employer is not obliged to accept your request.

Continuation of studies

You can work less than 24 hours per week (minimum weekly legal duration) if you continue your studies while having a professional activity.

You must be less than 26 yrs.

You must then apply to your employer.

Your request to your employer must be in writing and substantiated.

A sample letter is available:

Request for derogation from the minimum working time for part-time work

Please note

Your employer is not obliged to accept your request.

Employee of an individual employer

As a employee employed directly by an individual, you do not have to respect a minimum weekly working time.

Insertion contract (CDDI)

Your insertion contract (CDDI) must have a minimum weekly duration ofat least 20 hours per week.

Contract of insertion by economic activity (IAE)

Your insertion through economic activity (IAE) contract must be for a weekly period ofat least 20 hours per week.

The remuneration of the part-time employee shall be calculated in proportion to the length of time worked (except treaty provisions or practice more favorable).

It shall be proportional to that of an employee who, for the same qualification, holds a full-time equivalent job in the company.

Compensation can be smoothed over time. This ensures that employees, whose hours vary throughout the year, receive a fixed and regular salary.

A part-time employee may be required to work beyond the duration of the contract.

In this case, the employee works overtime.

It's not overtime.

Number of additional hours that can be worked

Additional hours may be completed up to 1/10e the weekly or monthly working hours laid down in the contract.

Example :

if the contract provides for a working time of 30 hours per week, the employee may work a maximum of 3 additional hours.

However, it may be increased to 1/3 the weekly or monthly duration per treaty provisions.

Remuneration for overtime

Any additional hours worked shall give rise to a salary increase.

The rate of increase for an additional hour may be fixed by treaty provisions.

The rate of increase shall be:

  • Either 10% for each additional hour completed up to 1/10e the duration of work laid down in the contract
  • Either 25% for each hour completed above 1/10e (and up to 1/3)
Right of refusal of the employee

The employee has the right to refuse to work additional hours:

  • If he's informed less than 3 days before the date on which overtime is scheduled
  • Or if overtime is worked beyond the limits laid down in the employment contract

The employee's refusal on any of these grounds is not fault or grounds for dismissal.

On the other hand, the employee cannot refuse to carry out the additional hours if he is informed at least 3 days before and that the hours are worked within the limits laid down in the contract.

In this case, the employee's refusal constitutes a fault which may justify a disciplinary sanction (warning, dismissal...) or, depending on the circumstances, a dismissal for misconduct.

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